The conversation about broadband access and use in Minnesota is heating up as the 2016 legislative session gets underway. To raise up the hundreds of rural voices that crafted the vision for broadband in Minnesota, our president, Dr. Kathy Annette, wrote an opinion piece that the Star Tribune is carrying today. In it she celebrates […]

As part of the ConnectALL Initiative announced by the White House yesterday, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will develop and launch a new online tool to help local leaders identify broadband needs in their community and connect them to the necessary resources to move forward. Blandin Foundation, along with a stellar list of national […]

1) Backus: In an effort to bring education back to a small-town school building, four community members are starting up a thrift store to supplement tuition costs. With a dual purpose of helping area students attend a newly-formed Christian school and keeping more money local, 100 percent of Threads for Ed profit will go to the school. Read […]

Border-to-border broadband — this is a movement that is not going away. Last year, more than 170 people came together to form a vision for broadband in Minnesota. That vision — “Everyone in Minnesota will be able to use convenient, affordable world-class broadband networks that enable us to survive and thrive in our communities and […]

“At the age of 12, Blandin left school to become an apprentice at the [New London] Times. Two years later young Blandin decided to leave New London and strike out on his own.” — Papermakers, p. 119 Forty-three years after Charles K. Blandin’s first embarked on his journey to “make it” in the world, he […]

1) Proctor: Resilience — it’s the cornerstone in many vibrant rural communities. For Proctor, Minnesota, it’s a way of life, according to a recent MinnPost story. Close to the big city of Duluth, Proctor does not fit the bill for your typical bedroom community. A vibrant main street, bustling businesses and a fully functioning school system illustrate […]

1) Crosby: Over the next three years, a third of Crosby-Ironton School District teachers are set to retire. During a time of low interest by new teachers in rural districts, school leadership knew they couldn’t sit idle. Instead, the district is meeting young teachers where they’re at through a new recruitment campaign. Personal outreach, a promotional video and brochure […]

1) Cherry: Even rugged northern Minnesotans might not have the necessary skills and knowledge to survive natural disasters like an avalanche or tornado. That’s something a class of ninth graders from Cherry School wants to change. Working on real-world issues, student teams are using technology, science, engineering and math to create new solutions to age-old problems — solutions […]

1) Virginia: Members of the Virginia boy’s high school hockey team are taking time out of practicing power plays to try their hand at power ballads. In support of the No More Campaign, an effort to stop domestic violence, the team will make several lip syncing videos to call more attention to domestic violence across the country. Videos […]

1) Chisago Lakes Area: What does it take to be the best community in America? A commitment to change, a strong community identity, a progressive economic development plan, and a clear vision for the future, according to the America’s Best Communities contest. This week the Chisago Lakes Area advanced to the semi-finalist round with 14 other […]